The present invention relates to a crate for holding packages. More particularly, the present invention relates to a foldable crate for holding packages, especially gable-top type packages.
Typically, packages that contain various products such as, for example, liquids, are transported by placing the packages in a shipping crate. Often times, the crates are dimensioned to receive and hold a plurality of packages. In that way, numerous packages can be more easily shipped at the same time.
The crates in which the packages are to be placed are usually manufactured as a one piece rigid unit. However, that type of construction presents several drawbacks. First, before the packages are placed in the crate for shipment to the distributors, the crates must be stored in some area of the packaging facility. Since the rigid construction of the crates prevents the crates from being reduced in size (i.e., folded), a large area is required for storing the crates. From a manufacturing standpoint, it may not be cost effective to utilize a large portion of the packaging plant for storing the empty crates.
A second disadvantage associated with crates that possess a rigid construction is that after the packages have been removed from the crates, the empty crates must be transported back to the distributor or to the packaging plant. Once again, since the size of the crates cannot be reduced, a large amount of space is required to transport the empty crates. As mentioned, that waste of space is not very cost efficient.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,477 addresses the aforementioned problems. That patent discloses an outer container for holding a plurality of packages in a close, tightly packed arrangement for transport or the like. The container is manufactured from a piece of rigid plastic material and includes a base portion and two sides that are connected to the base portion by hinge members. When packages are located in the container, the sides are positioned upright so that the sides and the base portion form a U-shaped member. A strap encircles the container and the packages located in the container. The hinges that connect the sides to the base member permit the sides to be folded outward so that when the container is not being used to hold packages, the container can be unfolded to a flat configuration.
Although that container does provide certain useful advantages over other prior art apparatus, the container is susceptible to certain improvements. For example, the construction of the container is such that when packages are positioned in the container, the containers cannot be stacked on top of one another in a stable manner because the tops of the packages extend above the edges of the sides of the container. When one container is stacked on top of another container, the containers rest on the upper surfaces of the packages positioned in the underlying container. As a consequence, the containers are able to slide relative to the underlying containers. The inability of the containers to be stacked on top of one another in a stable manner becomes an even greater problem when packages having non-planar tops, for example, gable-top type packages are positioned in the containers.
The aforementioned container also suffers from certain drawbacks with respect to the manner in which the container is folded. Although the aforementioned container is capable of being unfolded in a flat condition, the sides of the container are not adapted to be folded inwardly. Thus, that container is not capable of being folded into a more compact form.
Also, when the sides of the container are folded outwardly so that the container is laid out in a flat configuration., the container cannot be readily stacked on top of another container and aligned therewith to form a stable stack of flat folded containers.
The aforementioned container also is not designed to carry loads such as those produced when packages are placed in the container and the package-filled container is stacked on top of another package-filled container. As noted above, the containers are designed so that the packages in the container extend above the top edges of the sides of the container. Thus, when one package-filled container is stacked on top of another package-filled container, the load produced by the stacked containers must be supported by the packages and the packages may not be designed to support such loads.